Suspension travel

Key facts

Origin

the distance a wheel can travel on its suspension

Travel is given for each end: a “150/140” bike has 150 mm at the fork and 140 mm at the rear wheel. Rear travel is measured at the wheel, not at the shock — the frame's linkage multiplies the shock's stroke.

By discipline

• Cross-country: 100–120 mm.
• Trail: 120–150 mm.
• Enduro: 150–180 mm.
• Downhill: 180–210 mm.

Travel is not the whole story: geometry, tyres and how well the suspension is set up often matter more than 10 mm either way.

Related articles

• Full-suspension bike — A mountain bike with suspension at both ends. The rear shock keeps the back wheel on the ground over roots and rocks, which means more grip, more control and less fatigue.
• Suspension fork — The telescopic front fork that lets the front wheel move up over bumps instead of throwing them into your hands. It is what steers the bike through rough ground.
• Rear shock — The spring and damper that control the rear wheel of a full-suspension bike. Its tune and setup decide whether the back of the bike grips, pedals and lands well.
• Cross-country (XC) — Mountain biking as an endurance sport: as much up as down, on light and efficient bikes, where fitness wins races. The only mountain-bike discipline at the Olympic Games.
• Enduro — Racing the descents and riding the climbs: timed downhill stages linked by untimed transfers you pedal up yourself. Also the name of the long-travel bikes built for it.
• Suspension setup — Half an hour with a shock pump makes a bigger difference than most upgrades. Set the air pressure by sag, then rebound, then compression — one change at a time.
• Sag — How far the suspension compresses under the rider's own weight, standing in the riding position — given as a percentage of travel. The first number to set on any suspension.
• Frame geometry — The angles and lengths that decide how a bike rides: stable or nimble, easy to climb or eager to descend. Every model publishes them in a geometry chart.